Black bib shorts are the most popular amongst cyclists wardrobes of cycling apparel. We wanted to take a look at why it is so.

Strange History

Believe it or not, there was a time when cycling races required riders to exclusively wear black cycling shorts. In 1981, Castelli introduced a line of coloured cycling shorts at the Giro d’Italia, and riders were actually fined for wearing their green Castelli cycling shorts during the race instead of the required black cycling shorts.

Black Bib Shorts Are Practical

Have you ever stopped to repair the chain suck? Or repaired a flat tire in the middle of your ride? How do you clean your hands? Most likely, against your shorts. Therefore, the reason most cycling shorts are black is to help hide the inevitable dirt and grease stains every cyclist picks up on the road after a repair. That`s one of the reasons why black bib shorts are a good choice and must-have cycling apparel item. Have you ever ridden behind someone in white cycling shorts? How was the look at the front? Imagine – white shorts, wet roads. Best case scenario – there is a dirty line at the back of the shorts. Worst case scenario – shorts are translucent with grey plats at the back of the shorts. Again, it`s a reason to wear dark cycling shorts. Also, dark colours won`t highlight what nature gave to you. Need one more reason? Black always looks good! Check out 4Cyclists shop for bib shorts and other cycling apparel.

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